TEA IN CHINA…

In the early days of cultivation of tea in China, small plantations were often looked after by Buddhist monks on land near their mountain top temples and monasteries.

The Chinese have always believed that famous tea comes from the highest of mountains.

The timing of the harvest was crucial and all teas were gathered before the spring rains by young girls who would go out into the plantations in small groups, very early in the morning to gather the young leaves into wicker baskets.

It was important that these pickers had immaculately clean fingernails and that they never ate garlic, onions or other strongly flavoured foods in case it changed the smell on their skins and contaminate the teas they picked.